Episode Details
Back to Episodes
January 20, 2000: Future Technology - Dr. Michio Kaku
Published 1 year, 7 months ago
Description
Art Bell welcomes theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku to discuss how science will reshape daily life in the 21st century. Dr. Kaku describes what he calls the third stage of computing, predicting that by 2020 computer chips will cost a penny and be embedded in clothing, eyeglasses, and even toilets that monitor health. He explains how the AOL-Time Warner merger signals the architecture of a new digital era where Microsoft no longer dominates.
The conversation turns to privacy concerns as billions of devices connect to the Internet. Dr. Kaku notes that the Internet was originally built by physicists for the Pentagon to survive nuclear war, deliberately designed without censorship or gatekeeping. He warns that Little Brother, the nosy neighbor, may pose a greater surveillance threat than Big Brother.
Art and Dr. Kaku also explore the future of wealth itself, arguing that intellectual capital is replacing natural resources as the foundation of prosperity. They discuss how Silicon Valley could become a rust belt by 2020 as molecular and DNA computing replace silicon, and how nations that fail to embrace the Internet risk being left behind economically.
The conversation turns to privacy concerns as billions of devices connect to the Internet. Dr. Kaku notes that the Internet was originally built by physicists for the Pentagon to survive nuclear war, deliberately designed without censorship or gatekeeping. He warns that Little Brother, the nosy neighbor, may pose a greater surveillance threat than Big Brother.
Art and Dr. Kaku also explore the future of wealth itself, arguing that intellectual capital is replacing natural resources as the foundation of prosperity. They discuss how Silicon Valley could become a rust belt by 2020 as molecular and DNA computing replace silicon, and how nations that fail to embrace the Internet risk being left behind economically.